Thread: UK Police scared of entering a playground because it's too dark

The police who are afraid of the dark: Park plagued by young yobs won't be patrolled after 8pm 'because the officers can't see what's going on'


In the line of duty, police officers routinely risk life and limb in all sorts of dangerous situations to protect and serve.


So patrolling an area plagued by teenage yobs should be child’s play by comparison.


But constables and PCSOs have been banned from keeping the peace at an adventure playground at night because it is considered dark and dangerous.


A senior officer told stunned councillors there would be no patrols after 8pm at newly-built Waterlees Park in Wisbech, Cambridgeshire, for health and safety reasons.



Too dangerous: Youngsters gather in the newly built £1million park in Wisbech, Cambs



Too dark?: Inspector Sullivan said: 'If kids play in the park at night we will not go in. It is not our job to get kids out of the park.'


Dark: Critics of the inspector's policy pointed out the £1million park, which opened last year, was not a 'building site' as children were already allowed to play there during the day. Only minor work remains to be done.



‘The place has no lighting and it is still, in effect, a building site,’ Inspector Andy Sullivan told a meeting of Wisbech Town Council.


‘I am not going to put my staff - police officers or PCSOs - into an area where they can’t see what is going on.’


Speaking after the full council meeting on Monday, he added: ‘If kids play in the park at night we will not go in. It is not our job to get kids out of the park.


‘If it was any other building site, would people be happy if police tried to get people out?’


Critics of the policy pointed out the £1million park, which opened last year, was not a ‘building site’ as children were already allowed to play there during the day. Only minor work remains to be done.


And they complained the inspector’s announcement that the park was too dangerous for officers would mean a free-for-all for the dozens of children that sometimes converge there, causing noise and thousands of pounds worth of damage on a regular basis.


Town councillor Richard Fulcher said: ‘I and many other councillors were disgusted with his comments.


‘What on earth sort of society have we got where police officers refuse to go anywhere after 8pm?


‘What Inspector Sullivan has done is to declare this part of Wisbech a no-go area because of poor lighting.’


Another councillor, David Patrick, said: ‘I had to ask for confirmation from the inspector to ensure I had heard it right the first time.


‘He said police officers wouldn’t go into the park because it was dark. Don’t they carry torches?’


The park has traditional play equipment such as swings and climbing frames, as well as a 35ft tower with a slide and two 65ft barges that were hauled in and converted into a classroom and toilets.



Children playing on the building site. Some homeowners in the area - many of whom are old or disabled - have reported dozens of incidents of anti-social behaviour




But homeowners in the area - many of whom are old or disabled - complain it has become a magnet for young thugs and have reported dozens of incidents of anti-social behaviour. They have also found evidence of alcohol and drug use.
Residents say their homes and cars have been vandalised, leaving them scared to go out at night.


Retired businessman Malcolm Moss, 58, said: ‘Sometimes there are three or four of them, on occasions it ends up being 20 or 30.


‘The barges were practically wrecked from the outset as all the windows were smashed in and fire extinguishers were set off. The fire brigade have been involved quite a few times.


‘Stones have been thrown and on top of all that, there has been an increase in noise, with people shouting and screaming.


‘There is quite an aged population around this field and people are fearful of going out at night.


‘The police are meant to keep the peace but in their opinion if kids are creating havoc in this area it’s not happening somewhere else, so they just let them get on with it.’


A Cambridgeshire Police spokesman insisted the play park was ‘effectively a building site’ and said it currently has a council-appointed security guard.


He added: ‘During the evenings there is no lighting so it is effectively pitch black.


‘It is not a police officer’s job to ensure the area is kept clear. However, if a crime is committed or there is a risk to life, officers would take appropriate action.’

Read more: The police who are afraid of the dark: Officers won't patrol yob-plagued park after 8pm | Mail Online

Seems odd, kids would run if bright flashlights were shone in their direction in darkness. Police are equipped with them. Suppose it depends where in the UK your living and the social aspect along with that

^I would volunteer to go into the park and do my duty, even if it was dark. I would then "trip" in the dark, injure my back, sue and retire on full medical disability.

Originally Posted by Mr Brown

Seems odd

Spineless Britain.

Soon it will be too dangerous to leave the police station.

And sorry Davis, no money.
You "volunteered" tough shit.

^Bummer.

Originally Posted by the dogcatcher

And sorry Davis, no money. You "volunteered" tough shit.

And there's only tuppence ha'penny left in the pot any way.

One has to mention what sort of council builds a £1 million playpark with a 35 feet tower and doesn't have lighting installed and more importantly a high security fence to keep out overage yobs who apparently are damaging those assests during the hours of darkness.

If the police weren't consulted or had their recommendations ignored by the council at the planning stage then maybe they are repaying the council for ignoring those wishes.

Originally Posted by Mr Lick

One has to mention what sort of council builds a £1 million playpark with a 35 feet tower and doesn't have lighting installed and more importantly a high security fence to keep out overage yobs who apparently are damaging those assests during the hours of darkness.

If the police weren't consulted or had their recommendations ignored by the council at the planning stage then maybe they are repaying the council for ignoring those wishes.

Quite right.

It is entirely irresponsible to build such a place and not put in appropriate security such as lighting and fencing.
And its irresponsible to expect the police to make up for the councils lack of planning. Cops have better things to do than to subsidize councils failure to plan properly.

Just put in lighting and CC cameras plus a fence around the bloody place.
Cops are not private security guards for free.

Originally Posted by Panda

Just put in lighting and CC cameras plus a fence around the bloody place.

Why not just put landmines around the kids playground or maybe armed guards? Then again, why not ask the police to do their jobs?

Originally Posted by Sabai Prai

Originally Posted by Panda

Just put in lighting and CC cameras plus a fence around the bloody place.

Why not just put landmines around the kids playground or maybe armed guards? Then again, why not ask the police to do their jobs?

Or perhaps lets free up police to go out and do their job in the broader community rather than to act as private security guards for a council who fails to take reasonable security measures.

If it was a private company that built and run the place they would have built in reasonable night time security to protect their asset instead of letting it become a nest for vandalism causing thousands of $s damage and then crying they want the police to patrol an problem area that they, themselves created by lack of forethought and planning.

Actually I think the council should be prosecuted for creating a public hazard in not taking reasonable steps to prevent unauthorized after hours entry to vandals and drug takers.

Have the army rake the place with machine gun fire from 20:01 until 20:10 each evening. That should take care of it. They should announce this in advance of course....say around 19:59 Drastic measures for a drastic situation....

Originally Posted by Panda

Or perhaps lets free up police to go out and do their job in the broader community rather than to act as private security guards for a council who fails to take reasonable security measures.

Private security guards? The residents who are complaining to the police about the yobs pay the wages of the police.

Originally Posted by Sabai Prai

Originally Posted by Panda

Or perhaps lets free up police to go out and do their job in the broader community rather than to act as private security guards for a council who fails to take reasonable security measures.

Private security guards? The residents who are complaining to the police about the yobs pay the wages of the police.

Umm.. the fact is that the police are not there to act as private security guards for council when council fails to take adequate security measures.

As the police have stated, they will respond to calls from the public when requested. But it is not their job to provide private security for a local entity which fails in its duty to provide security on its sites thus endangering public safety.

Better to resolve the problem at its root once and for all than simply call for some other authority to try to manage it in an ongoing manner and far greater cost to the public.

Put a farking fence around the place and put some lights in there instead of sustaining thousands of $s damage in vandalism and whining about the cops.

Geeze, has England got to such a nanny state that even the councils want someone else to protect them from their own stupidity?

Originally Posted by Panda

Actually I think the council should be prosecuted for creating a public hazard in not taking reasonable steps to prevent unauthorized after hours entry to vandals and drug takers.

I take it you would like to see the local councils prosecuted for every public area that is accessible to vandals and drug users after dark? How would that work exactly?

Originally Posted by Panda

If it was a private company that built and run the place they would have built in reasonable night time security to protect their asset instead of letting it become a nest for vandalism causing thousands of $s damage and then crying they want the police to patrol an problem area that they, themselves created by lack of forethought and planning.

Maybe in the future local councils should just point blank refuse to build and supply 'non essential' amenities. Flatten and concrete over parks etc because they cant afford to build huge fences around them, set up CCTV and man them all with security guards when people like you are intent on making excuses for the police not to fulfill their public obligation at every given chance.